stevenson



a 4Beyit knownj@ that l, J. .STEVENsornofthe "vented a newwand c`Life-Preseiycri"ifor v. the `Safety iof Persons i j Travelingibyatemthewholebeing `so .con-H structedithati inl; case @of `accident `tothe `vessel, itcanf ina f into `life-boat, .o

description of tovsthe 1i.a1ignexed drawingsyfmaking* thisspecificationiinfwhich-ay1` i)Figurelhisfa draiwing.` o` andmattressxthef v aysingleiberthgiwhe required for" .a `doublej*`lierth,`"`the back is th .y of `course .coiferinggthiwhole,;llig`.`2, isi ai c portion of thebo'atgfone fendn `Ifonly. is?showni-n the drawing:the` other` end being precisely similar fis,`omitted. This part forms `wlfenwin inselon shipboardia "framing oribottom for ,thel bedding. to liefyupon; when f *brought into` useasliaboat thiswill form the i inside; this part is also covered withAindia der` to.` render. lit 1waterreversed or .bottom plan E f top planof i proof gioFig. 31

. "ofiithe same; .thisyiewshows the under part"` of theframingjwheninthe-.berthor when in g usei as "la boat, ;what.constitutes the outside. UFig. 4 isaperspective View ofthefmachinelallfwhomitfrmay concermk i x `city` of` `@Philadelphii a,in `the countyof Ehilardelphia and1 State of Pennsylvania, have inlImproved Bed-Boat`or aminutes be `converted The. following y the; sa e; reference: being`had k part of.

hole .beingr arrangedlfor;

rubber i clothffi or converted into a boatmplfig. -isa View `of a` oportion of one: side, orratherjyoneghalh of l the framing7 being partlyin section, for the `purpose of showing the manner of converting thesaine) Fig".` 6 is a transverse lView ofthe same.. Fig. `7 is a diagramshowing the manner ofarranging theboats, for the i purpose ofi-formingaraft.

` "The same letters refer to like parts; letter, a being the mattressorbed;b the framej `work whichforms the sides of the boat; fthe partwhichformsthe bulkhead or ends o ofthe boat when in use on shipboard.These "parts foldunderneath, as shown in Fig. 1,

the bottom ofythe berthbeing cut out to 1 "admit their passing through.o

. fd showsfthe'airtube with the stop-cock e attached `tofit; f," theindia rubber cloth `apron orflap intended `when the bed is convertedinto' a, boat to keep out the water,

""fthey` being drawn upland securely fastened atnumber ofwthem being;lashed togetherl will ,form` a.J substantial raft, upon i which l theiipassengers ,crew may i trust themselves c full; clear *and exact.:

n downthe mattress k.

"cured when formed into a raft. The dotted PATENT .TOSBH sfrEVENsON, `0FPHILADELPHIA. BENNSXLVANIA.

V nien-Boem oRfLiFE-PRESERVER.

to `the knobs g; whenin use as la bed stand r the aprons fmaybespreadout Hat, asV` shown finlFig. 2, or `formed vinto la roll under the endsof the mattress; g, knobsto which =th`e `j different `lashings aresecured; `lathe cords; in FigsaQ and 3 :they arefshown fdrawn back orloosened in order that the ends markedl c may be turned underneath yasshown in Fig. l; fthey should beofsuiiicient lengthto 4freinain `in theeyelets; in ,order that no nnnecessary delay maybe caused whenoccaisions arise to use themachine as a boat.

l z', isja `hollow beltiof india rubber cloth;` covering, the` jointformed by the junction @ofthe two sides; hooks or their equivalents`being` used for securing the lbed or vmattress. l 3g :tothe-frame, themattress having ,corre` 4ispondingloops; the ebelt `.or tube is alsomade4 isuiiicientlyqlongfor .one end to `be passed u ofver the :bow ofthe :boat `as shown iniFig. `llgllfit is intended that this tubeshouldbe fusedasa pump to keep theboat dry, a valve ibeing fixed at theother end, i Awhich. will iadmit the Awater into `the tube from which it`maybe forced by a pressure ofthe foot; ik copperjrivets `.or nailswhich fasten the @canvas :covering to -theframe work; Z, holes 1 in thecovering, admitting thewater into the 1 Flower part lof the framing`toserve as bal- .85 `(last, to keep theboatin fan upright-position.

m and a, yare the verticaland. horizontal `fraining,-showing themannerof putting them together; `o, a layer ofcork, running i the whole length`of -the framing, :and ex- 90 tending downward to a distance occupyingtwo spaces between the horizontal ,fasten o ings. p, is also aglayer of.\,cork lill-111g the r interstices, between the Vertical pieces ofAJframe Work running parallel with e, and of the same extent each way.

4 is the handles serving the purpose of row locks when used as a boat,and through which the lashings may be passed and sen 100 lines in Fig. 3show the framing of light wood which forms the bows or ends of the boatthe inside space being filled in with` cork.` The two sides are joinedor fastened together by strap hinges made of girth web. 105 In order toconstruct the machine, we first make a `strong framing of rat-an, or anysuitable material, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,V and of any requiredlength and breadth; at

'the top bottom, and each end, a double thick- 110 ness of ratan isused. The framework at each intersection being securely and firmlyfastened together by lashings of small cord the next process is to putthe layers of cork in their proper places the outer layers being securedbetween the horizontal braces, and occupying two spaces between thevertical bracings extending each way the same dis tance as the otherlayer. The whole is then covered with strong heavy canvas which issecured at each intersection of the framing, by copper rivets or nails.The canvas covering the air tube d, in order to retain it in its Vplaceand protect it from injury by chafing, &c.

A stop cock is attached to the tube; allowing the tube to be filled withair and preventing it-s escape when once lled. The framing of the endsare .made to resemble somewhat the bows of a boat .in shape are alsocovered in a similar manner with canvas, and hinged to the sides in anysuitable manner. The two sides are joined or fastened together withgirth web, forming a common strap hinge which enables the machine to lielat or fold together the part which forms the inside of the boat islined with india rubber cloth making the boat waterproof. The tube ofindia rubber cloth is next placed over the joint, its use is to retainthe bed or mattress in its place and also to expel any water that maylash into the boatit can, however, be dispensed with without detrimentto the successful working of the other parts of the apparatus. half ofthe'bows, as shown in Fig. 3, is covered with canvas, said canvas beingloose at the part containing the eyelets; a canvas flap of similar shapeand construction is fastened to the opposite side of the boat; the cordfor lashing and holding the parts together passes through these eyelets.

I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement as herein set forthnor the materials mentioned, as it may be necessary to modify the sameto suit circumstances, 'as the same may be done without affecting theprinciple or mode of action.

yOne- In case it should be necessary to convert the machine into a boat,all that you will have to do, will be to turn up the sides, put the bowsin their places, draw the cords tightly, and fasten them to the knobs;next draw the apron of india rubber cloth together, and secure the cordsto the knobs. The boat is then ready for launching. Should it bepreferred to construct a raft a number of the boats may be lashedtogether` (the diagram, F ig. 7, shows a very suitable arrangement). Inorder to render the raft stiif oars or any suitable light spars may belashed transversely as shown in the diagram.y The mattress may be leftin the boat, or not as the passenger chooses, being properly secured inits place by means of hooks and loops there is no danger of itsshifting, and if more buoyancy is wanted when the boat in the surf wouldchance to lill with water air tight pillows fastened to the bed in theposition to sitk on would give more buoyancy to the boat when filledwith water.

Having'thus fully described the nature of my invention, kI would statethat I do not claim the material of which the boat is con` Structed, nordo I claim a fiexible or fold up boat, as these vare not new, but 1lVhat I do claim as new' and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1.So hinging the bulkheads or bows to ak iiexible boat as that they may beturned down out of the way for stowage in the bunks or births of avessel, and may be as readily drawn up and laced so as to form a bow,substantially as described.

2. I also claim in combination with the hinged bulkheads or bows, theapron which is drawn up over the joint of the two bulkheads, for thepurpose of preventing any water from entering the boat through saidjoints, in the manner described.

JOSEPH STEVENSON.

lVitnesses: I

AUSTIN KNowLEs, WILLIAMS OGLE.

